Delphi, from the Stadium 1913

Curator: This is Joseph Pennell’s etching, "Delphi, from the Stadium," created in 1913, part of our prints and drawings collection. Editor: The immediate impression is stark: black ink on paper. Look at how it captures the grand desolation of Delphi, almost like an archaeological record emerging before our eyes. Curator: Pennell employs an etching technique that yields very fine lines. We see the linear quality is quite remarkable—defining the ancient architecture against the rugged landscape. Consider the materiality, the bite of acid into the metal plate. Editor: I find it very evocative of a physical effort of excavation, the removal of earth, which mirrors the process Pennell enacted to produce the print itself. How the aquatint gives tonal variations is impressive. Curator: The composition itself is dynamic, that acute perspective that moves from the stadium seating towards the temple foundations, directing your eye to those imposing mountains. This strategic orchestration heightens the classical structures. Editor: But where did Pennell source his materials? What was the labour of producing these multiple states? Think of the socioeconomic structure needed to provide Pennell the space and materials. That’s the bigger, often unseen picture within these etched lines. Curator: A compelling question. Ultimately, this is an interesting distillation of ancient majesty through modern graphic means—a dialog between past and present facilitated by line, tone, and the physicality of printmaking. Editor: It truly highlights how the meaning is as deeply embedded in material realities as it is in formal arrangement. Both are required in dialogue to see an image fully.